Former Bengals’ receiver Tyler Boyd will sign with the Tennessee Titans on a free agent “prove-it deal”.
NASHVILLE, TENN.– Former Bengals’ wide receiver Tyler Boyd’s free agency search has finally come to an end. The 29-year-old WR has signed a one-year contract with the Tennessee Titans in the midst of a slow period for free agency.
It became apparent that his time in Cincinnati was coming to an end as Ja’marr Chase’s and Tee Higgins’ contracts were coming to an end. Joe Burrow’s massive extension also looms for the Bengals meaning that the team had to take the most financially viable option– which in this case was letting Boyd walk.
The Titans have slowly begun to build a heavy-hitting wide receiver core. The team has DeAndre Hopkins, Calvin Ridley, and drafting Jha’Quan Jackson from Tulane. Boyd is coming off his worst season since his sophomore season in 2017 this past year. Boyd posted 67 catches for 667 yards where he only scored two touchdowns throughout the year. His production was expectedly the final straw and enough justification for the team to not feel the need to resign him– letting him hit free agency.
“We have to have someone emerge for us at the slot position receiver, when we’re in 11 personnel,” first-year head coach Brian Callahan said before the draft. “You need depth at every position. Guys that are fast, explosive and physical, you can’t have enough of them.”
Boyd excels at the slot and WR3 position where he made most of his receptions throughout the course of his career. In a new era under Callahan, the old guard seems to be up in the air– 2022 first-round draft pick Treylon Burks who was selected to fulfill a formidable role in the wide receiver core simply hasn’t had the impact the Titans would’ve liked him to. The Boyd pick-up puts his future in serious question.
In a new dawn, Tyler Boyd’s locker room presence could also help smooth the transition with Callahan and the second year of quarterback Will Levis. Boyd was instrumental in flattening the learning curve with the Andy Dalton-Joe Burrow transition and turning the Bengals into a team that made a Super Bowl appearance.
